Mastodawn

Azza3000 May 28

@[email protected] has moved

Disappointingly, but all too predictably Jonathan Liew exercise a long critique of X (formally Twitter), but concludes that the 'utopian idea of the digital town square is dead for ever' without even mentioning Mastodon, which while not perfect (seem to me) to get quite a long way towards that ideal....

We've noted before how (wilfully?) blind to Mastodon mainstream journalists are, so we shouldn't be surprised, just disappointed (again).

#mastodon #SocialMedia
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/28/still-on-x-ask-yourself-why-platform-twitter-malign-actors-misinformation

If you’re still on Elon Musk’s X, ask yourself this: why?

Some argue that quitting the platform formerly known as Twitter cedes the space to malign actors. But it’s an open sewer, beyond redemption, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew

The Guardian

Particularly surprising when the EU is explicitly backing Mastodon - https://www.euractiv.com/news/interview-inside-the-commissions-favoured-european-social-network

INTERVIEW: Inside the Commission’s favourite European social network | Euractiv

The biggest European alternative to X is planning a comeback amid an EU tech sovereignty push

Euractiv

Schrödinger's Prat May 28

@ChrisMayLA6
I remember a flurry of journalists coming a few years ago. Many derided the lack of quoting, lack of deep text search, and how they couldn't instantly get 100k followers. This interfered with doing their job, which is apparently to mine social media for free content to write up while holding court over the mortals with far fewer followers.

Not all. Obviously. But I'm quite happy for that particular class of journalism to stay away.

Harsh(ish) but still entirely fair comment.

Supermoosie May 28

@Rhodium103 @ChrisMayLA6

If we all join one instance and don't follow anyone else. Broadcast and not reply.

Why don't people follow us, or drive traffic to our website?

Why don't people find us?

trenchworms May 28

@Rhodium103 @ChrisMayLA6 a deeply held opinion of mine is that (despite the fediverse's many genuine flaws) a large body of the Twitter exodus was just mad that the fediverse was resistant to virality. But because the realized that it was cringe to just say 'I can't be famous and hock dropshipping ads in the replies anymore' they had to dress up their gripes in high minded rhetoric about "community" and "dialog".

Dave Robinson May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 maybe you should post your critique on X so that Liew can read it 🤣

@[email protected] has moved May 28

he's not there either....

https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanliew.bsky.social

Jonathan Liew (@jonathanliew.bsky.social)

100% pure nuance. https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonathan-liew

Bluesky Social

https://mastodonapp.uk/@jonathanliew

Jonathan Liew (@[email protected])

17 Posts, 25 Following, 150 Followers · 100% pure nuance. Sports writer, The Guardian.

Mastodon App UK

LambrosThe2st May 28

It is just sad...

Chip Butty May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 it is easier to imagine the end of the public square than it is to imagine the end of capitalism

Davi Ottenheimer May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 he's a "sportswriter". someone should ask @TheGuardian why he's now the data integrity breach opinion guy.

Misja van Laatum May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 why the disappointment? What's to be gained by having Mastodon being an enormous, well known platform? Why do we always gravitate towards "bigger = better"?

@[email protected] has moved May 28

@misjavanlaatum

Well, I'd always like to see more people benefit from civility & engaged conversation because that's one small part of how we reverse the rightwards shift of society (in my, perhaps optimistic, view)

Misja van Laatum May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 fair enough, me too. As long as growth does not become the sole purpose, I'm all for more people enjoying a good social network 🤷‍♂️

It may take time, but I think journalism on Mastodon servers will grow.

There seems to be a great deal of denial around the use of US Corporate social media, but people are gradually realising that those platforms are geared to data collection and perception management rather than open information sharing and debate.

Conny Nasch May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 When I joined in '23 I was thrilled to find so many interesting and thoughtful discussions/posts. It was a relief after FB & company 🤗

Aral Balkan May 28

Perfect!

Androcat May 28

@aral
@ChrisMayLA6

Almost as if the editorial caverns were full of people beholden to moneyed interests.

🍉🇵🇸May 28

@aral @ChrisMayLA6 If there’s anything the last three years has taught me, is that western journalists are the least courageous people on the planet.

@ChrisMayLA6 The ironic thing is that the most journalist friendly platform is literally right in front of them a lot of the time

Walrus 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿May 28

I've never understood that "town square" concept, and nobody explains, so the people using it may all have different ideas about what they mean.

I'm going to assume it's where all the villagers gather with pitchforks and flaming torches, before rushing up the hill to storm the castle.

@Walrus @ChrisMayLA6

@[email protected] has moved May 28

If I can be a bit academic for a moment; in current use, it sort of derives from Jurgen Habermas' notion of political communication which he drew from the Greek notion of the agora.... a place for social exchange(s). So the idea of the town square is somewhere we can all meet and discuss - a sort of more picturesque way of saying the public realm (I guess)

Walrus 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿May 28

Still baffled, thanks. Also, thought the agora was the market place, but am going to lie down now...

@[email protected] has moved May 28

I think in the Greek usage it may have originally been that, but even before Habermas, it had been expanded & repurposed to mean a public square facilitative of social & personal communicative interchanges.... but to be frank, academics are like Humpty Dumpty they make words mean what they want them to mean...

Bytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 @Walrus

I learn new things on here. This makes me happy.

swisslet May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 I joined twitter in ‘07 and baled out in ‘22-ish in the early Musk years. It took a little getting used to (following hashtags and the like to get content in my feed), but I’ve found my people and it’s the closest thing I’ve found to what I’ve had before. I love how it isn’t corporate, slowly filling with adverts and has few bad faith actors (at least, in my feed!). I don’t mind that journalists (in the main) aren’t here as they would bring that noise. X is a hellsite for sure.

Nicovel0 🍉May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 I work for a company whose almost entire job is to communicate science to other scientists/journalists and (less a focus) the public. Our higher ups did a social media review in the wake of X’s blatant nazification, and Mastodon wasn’t even mentioned. When I asked why the reason given was “it’s too complicated”. From people who can actually explain quantum mechanics to non physicists like me.

stonedonkey 🕹️🎮👾May 28

@Nicovel0
@ChrisMayLA6

In fairness the onboarding process isn't the best. It's really the equivalent of picking an email provider back in the day, but the content around sign up goes off on all kinds of tangents.

Nicovel0 🍉May 28

@TheStoneDonkey @ChrisMayLA6 it’s a big company, they could easily set up their own server. Total control, and factual news link don’t get deprioritised like on X or Facebook

Rania rizq May 28

@ChrisMayLA6
I’m Rania from Gaza 💔
We lost our home, and now my children and I are living in a fragile tent with no protection from the cold, heat, or insects.
My children suffer every day, and I am unable to provide their basic needs 💔
Please don’t leave us alone. Any donation or share could help us survive 🙏🤍
🔗 Help & donation link in bio.

@ChrisMayLA6 @aj Normies have no time for Mastodon for the same reason they have no time to join anarchist collectives and spend endless hours sitting in meetings discussing the ideal colour of unicorns in the utopia to come.

Wulfy—Speaker to the machines May 28

@acb @ChrisMayLA6 @aj

I rule the post out of order.

Please refrain from posting outside of the agenda, formally noted post.

The Mastodon disciplinary committee is now looped in.

Move forward or die!May 28

@ChrisMayLA6 agree that #mastodon is worth truly considering as a healthy alternative.

I have personally donated to the nonprofit and I am building infrastructure to help more creators and organizations setup their own self funded mastodon communities.

Let me know what you think…

https://tgecommonshub.com

Steven Heywood May 28

@ChrisMayLA6
With apologies to that small and vitally important minority remaining in the field still prepared to do the spadework, the majority of mainstream journalism is about maximising reach with the minimum of content. As Mastodon doesn't offer instant reach and doesn't reward minimum content it obviously can't be any use as a means of communicating news.